ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman pitched into the ninth inning on Opening Day, outdueling the Rays’ Chris Archer, and Toronto pulled out a 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
Stroman held the Rays to one run on four hits before giving up two hits to open the ninth. He wound up charged with three runs in eight-plus innings. Stroman (1-0) struck out five and walked one.
Archer (0-1) fanned 12 — the most by any Opening Day pitcher since 2007 — but needed 30 pitches to get his first two outs in the first. In five innings, Archer gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits, three walks and a wild pitch.
Edwin Encarnacion drove in two first-inning runs for Toronto, and Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run homer in the eighth.
Pirates 4, Cardinals 1
PITTSBURGH — Francisco Liriano struck out 10 in six scoreless innings and Pittsburgh beat St. Louis. Liriano (1-0) tied the franchise record for strikeouts on Opening Day while allowing three hits, walking five and driving in the game’s first run.
Matt Carpenter hit an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning off Mark Melancon. However, the Pirates closer got Matt Adams to hit a game-ending pop out with runners at second and third.
Pittsburgh’s Francisco Cervelli had a triple and Jordy Mercer doubled, and they finished with two hits each.
Spring training
Matt Shoemaker gave up two runs in five innings, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 at Anaheim, Calif. Two-run hits by David Fletcher and Gregorio Petit in the eighth inning were the difference. Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Kris Bryant all homered for Chicago.